Two leaders
of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union’s office at the Mazyr-based refinery have
been on hunger strike at their workplace since October 14. The hunger strike was
started by Yury Shvets and later joined by his deputy, Vasil Alkhouski. The
latter decided to support the protest, despite being on sick leave after he
broke his leg.

The refinery
workers declared a three-day hunger strike after the unfair dismissal of five
activists of the independent trade union, whose fixed-term employment contracts
were recently terminated. The pressure on the alternative trade union members
from the enterprise’s administration has been reported since 2008.

“The pressure on the independent trade union has
been underway for a long time already. I do not know what guides the
administration of the plant, when trying to eliminate the trade union. I think
this is due to the fact that the post of Deputy Director General was taken by
Henadz Tsetsiaruk, who previously headed Mazyr town department of the State
Security Committee (KGB). Apparently, he is using his skills here, at the
enterprise. It’s a mopping up, workers are intimidated so that they leave the trade
union. I think that is a dangerous game. The situation with the trade unions
can trigger economic sanctions against the company,” says local human
rights activist Uladzimir Tseliapun.